


Like Sea Glass

by Steinbee



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Canon, Canon-Typical Violence, Embedded Images, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Mutually Unrequited, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Subtle Omegaverse, Unrequited Love, Warrior!Eren Yeager
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-17 18:47:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29230236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Steinbee/pseuds/Steinbee
Summary: It's been five years. Five years since Reiner had arrived on that accursed island. Five years since he'd last seen Marley. After five years, he returns home, given a new rank, welcome, and meeting a face he hadn't seen in what seemed like an eternity. Reiner hopes to start fresh with Eren, now a Warrior and holder of the Attack Titan. However, Eren doesn't feel the same.
Relationships: Reiner Braun/Eren Yeager
Comments: 16
Kudos: 107





	1. A Memory

It began with a twinkle. Among the rippling tide beneath the evening breeze, it was only by chance that the boy happened to notice it.

They were meant to pass the beach. Reiner’s second year of training Liberio’s warrior program proved to be gruelling. Compared to the standard public schooling offered by the government, his days were long. Arduous training forced him to his limit daily, and the trip home lasted hours on foot. Overhead, a dim orange sky had descended upon the city. Rows of swaying sailboats parked against the docks while the seagulls fought messily over scraps. At the very least, he could enjoy his trip home. The path along the south-east coast was a common one for warrior candidates. 

Noting the lack of security, Reiner started towards the shore. The gleam almost seemed like an illusion at first. One of many happenstance twinkles on the beach. Like stars in the sky, there were hundreds-no, thousands of them. But this gleam seemed different. Brighter. When he finally located the source of the sparkle, the edge of the tide crept forward and pushed the object to his feet, as if offering it to the boy. Reiner hesitated. For all he knew, it could have been something dangerous like a shard of tin. 

Slowly, gingerly, Reiner scooped the object out of the sand. He shook off the seafoam to inspect it properly; eyes immediately drawn to its glistening form. It looked like a jewel. A translucent, faded, frosty, ocean-coloured jewel roughly the size of his thumb. Its rounded edges gave it a soft, malleable appearance as if with the slightest prodding, it’d wobble like jelly. Yet it held firm. Cold like ice against his skin. 

Reiner thought it was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. Well, second-most. The stone was slightly late had it meant to be a contest. 

“Reiner? What are you doing?” 

He heard a familiar voice call from the street. The distinct thud of worn boots hurried down the ocean stairs, messenger-bag dangling from the other boy’s shoulder and patches of dirt speckling a white warrior candidate uniform much like his own. “Come on! We don’t have time for pit stops!”

Reiner had already seen the most beautiful thing. 

Or more specifically, it was the brunette’s eyes that rivalled that crystalline sheen of the gemstone. Reiner whirled around to meet him, treasure cradled between his palms. “Eren! I found something!”

“Found what?” Eren questioned with ample skepticism in his voice. He didn’t have to wait very long for an answer. Already, Reiner opened his palms, displaying the bright teal orb to his friend. 

“See? Isn’t it pretty?” Reiner whispered as he admired the purity of its form. It was unlike any gemstone he’d seen before. Lacking in inclusions and had it not been for its rippled texture, it could have passed for a large water droplet. “I think it’s a jewel. Somebody must have walked here and dropped it.” He had seen jewels before. Mostly from afar in the window shops of the shopping district. Reiner hadn’t been there a wealth of times. Eldians rarely had the money to afford such luxuries. Gems and opals decorated bracelets and necklaces. Ever gleaming under artificial lights. Reiner had imagined diamonds to be the property of kings and dragons. 

And here he was, holding one in the palm of his hand. 

Unfortunately, his excitement wasn’t a shared sentiment. The child behind those eyes was a less amicable person. “A jewel?” Eren grumbled. Lidded green eyes lifted from the object to Reiner. 

His lack of enthusiasm didn’t immediately occur to Reiner, too caught up in the prospect of possessing such a precious object. “Yeah! Like the ones in those diamond stores.” Reiner pondered for a moment. “I’ll bring it home and show my ma-or actually,” he hesitated, expression falling. “She might make me sell it. I don’t really want to do that.”

Eren regarded Reiner with a sigh. “It’s not worth anything you know.”

Reiner blinked. 

The other candidate placed a hand on his hip, scowling and irritated. “I can’t believe I stopped here for this. You can’t sell it for anything, it’s not even a jewel.”

“What do you mean it’s not a jewel?” Reiner questioned him. It looked like a rock, felt like a rock, and was as translucent and prettily coloured as, if not more so, a jewel. 

“It’s sea glass.” 

That one simple statement was enough for Reiner to blank. “Sea...glass?”

“Yeah, don’t tell me you’ve never seen it before, they’re all over the place.” 

His confused response prompted Eren to roll his eyes. “Sea glass is just broken glass that’s been in the ocean for a long time. At least that’s what Zeke told me.” With a quick swipe of his hand, the object disappeared from Reiner’s possession. Reiner suddenly panicked while Eren sneered at the object. “It’s basically trash. Nothing special.” He turned for the ocean, their shoulders brushing.

“H-Hey! Wait!” Reiner scrambled to stand, forcing his legs to sprint for the other boy. Eren wound back his arm, ignoring Reiner’s cries before chucking the small rock into the sunset. Reiner felt the oxygen escape him, jaw dropped open as he watched the tiny object glimmer in the sun and plunge into the water with a plop. Just like that, the waters had swallowed it up.

“You’re wasting your time getting caught up in stupid things like that. Don’t you ever think? This is why your grades are so low.” Eren gandered out into the waters with a lidded gaze. He hitched his bag back over his shoulder and fixed his armband. “Come on, Zeke’s gonna freak if we’re late. Thanks to you, we gotta run now.” Eren spun on his heel, making a beeline for the sea stairs. 

Barely a few steps up, Eren noticed he could only hear his own breaths. With a heavy sigh, he paused halfway up the stairs. The familiar sight of Reiner seemed lonely on the beach. Gaze affixed at the vast open sea. “If you don’t hurry up I’m gonna leave you behind!” Eren shouted. 

No response. 

The ocean waves appeared to consume him. Reiner forced his mouth shut. No, Eren was right, he couldn’t get upset over this. There were bigger things to worry about than a little broken glass. Squandering the sinking feeling in his chest, Reiner wiped the tears away. “Yeah, you’re right, I’m coming.”


	2. Icarus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been eight years since he'd seen his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM FINALLY DONE THIS CHAP
> 
> I apologize to everyone in the comments whom I told that this chap would come soon cause it took a lot longer than expected. Imma add pics later but for now, if there aren't pics, enjoy words.

* * *

**7 years later, Southern Marley at Lakua front**

* * *

“Jay 03, Jay 03 this is Lakua Control.”

A radio buzzed. Over it, the hum of the unlit hull hovered like the rapid heartbeat of an organism. The entire machine rattled, only providing a semblance of white noise to cover the rhythmic wingbeats of propellers. At one point, it was common thought that the sky was for the birds. A vast and endless frontier, inaccessible to the reach of mankind. Yet, over the many darkened smokestacks, superior to the symphony of cries and shells, the zeppelin hung like a second moon. Within its cockpit, a man clad in worn leather and goggles picked up the mic. 

“Lakua Control, this is Jay 03. I hear you loud and clear.”

Another crackle and ‘ _brzzt'_ acknowledged the reply. A woman’s voice came through, choppy and heavily veiled in static. “This is Lakua Control, what is your progress?”

The pilot took a glance outside. Various buttons and atmospheric gauges crowded the instrument panel but luckily the aircraft offered plenty of windows. Frosted glass didn’t serve to improve visibility, but it was easy to spot a band of white several kilometres south from the front lines. Ground cannons had been eliminated. Enemy crafts cleared from the airspace. “This is Jay 03, we’re approaching the target in 120 seconds.” A brief cut in the radio. “Currently preparing an airdrop.”

With that, the pilot returned the radio, nodding at a soldier clad in white standing in the back. The young man ducked into the dark fuselage. With each step, a thunk shook the metal sheets. Altitude pressure popped his ears, serving to drown out the ambiance of the airship and silence the faint thunder of shells. With a twist of a large steel crank, the soldier hauled aside a heavy metal door to the lower deck. Multiple chords swung from rows of track lines above, but that day, only one Eldian inhabited the cargo hold.

Rows of circular windows offered the only source of illumination in the cabin. Misty orange and yellow. Between them, Eren sat curled up pathetically against the concave steel walls. His long hair was done up in an army bun, stray locks radiating in fierce cowlicks. The only bit of colour on his person is a bright crimson band. In spite of the frosted wisps that escaped his lips, he didn’t tremble under the soldier’s scrutiny. Another thrum sounded from the battlefield. It sounded closer than the others. Probably another shell. 

“It’s time,” The soldier addressed the banded warrior. “Get ready to go in less than 100 seconds.”

At this, the curled-up figure roused his head. Eren inhaled deeply, remaining green eye flared with a simmering fire. 

Whether he was ready or not didn’t matter. The cargo hold groaned alongside a rapid clicking. The rear hatch wheeled open, the door lowering into a downward slope. With it, a sudden rush of wind assaulted the interior of the cargo port. In spite of an explosion of force, the red-banded warrior defied the wind, both legs firmly planted just a few feet away from the precipice. Eren ignored the cries of the soldier behind him. Something about equipping his parachute. For the moment, Eren could appreciate one piece of gear. The high-altitude goggles designed by the engineering department stood up to the frigid conditions well enough. Not a single trace of ice obscuring his remaining eye. Below, the enemy’s base of operations stood out like a white flag. They hadn’t even attempted to blend into the scorched earth. Between the tents, Eren spotted multiple moving dots bustling below. It would be near impossible to miss the zeppelin by now. It was a meagre attempt at evacuation.

 _It’s sad._ Eren thought as his gaze lidded. _You’ve played all your cards so all there is left is to run._ Tossing the thought away, he assessed his current mission. _The wind is blowing north-east at 23 kilometres per hour. Altitude, 500 feet. At this height, there’s no point in using a parachute. My titan should be able to withstand the impact. If I don’t jump now, I’ll be out of time._

With a deep breath, his legs carried him forward. To the enemy ranks below, a white dot had fallen from the clouds. It lacked wings or a parachute. Certain death for any regular human being. However, shifters were not regular people. Could he even call himself human?

The thought came to his head in a blinding rush. The wind. The smoke. The air escaping his lungs. Eren’s teeth clenched to fight what felt like a twisting and turning vortex batter his entire body. The bandages wrapped around his eye threatened to unfurl and retreat with the wind.

In spite of the howl in his ears, a sort of peace had settled over him. It was quiet. For those few metres between the sky and the earth, he was the furthest from anything he’d ever been. Green eyes squinted at the horizon through his tinted lenses. Blots of red and orange highlighted the clouds. At the centre of that painted view, a light shone in the middle of it all. White wings spread from north to south, sky and sea, a crosshair of epic proportions. Even his titan was far smaller than that. Not even the colossal compared to such a sight. He was small.

_Reiner, are you seeing it too?_

Forcing the air into his lungs, Eren didn’t dare turn his eyes away. Whether or not that blond boy in his memories was looking at the same sight, it didn’t change a single thing. Maybe it granted him comfort. It did actually, just a little bit. He was ‘near yet far.’ Was this feeling what it meant?

Eren equipped the knife at his side, cold steel glimpsing the precious dawn light. If he were an eagle, this was his claw. Standing over the killing fields, there was at least one thing that made Eren feel somewhat free. 

An intense golden light swallowed the camp. 

* * *

Like Seaglass

* * *

A seagull took flight. 

No matter how much time passed, the view from Liberio’s harbour never changed. Wisps of clouds hovered over the even deeper blue expanse. Its rolling waves filled the silence, bringing with it a salty scent that never left Reiner’s nose. Had it really been so long? Those five years on that island? While clear water was never far away, the ocean had been something he didn’t realize he missed. Standing here, on this tan, sparkling shore with the wind licking at his hair and fluttering at his coattails.

Reiner remembered the scene on the beach vividly. He wasn’t sure why. It had been one of the few moments in childhood that really stuck with him. For as long as he spent as a soldier on that island, fighting, eating, and sleeping with the enemy, he’d still dream of those early days on Liberio’s coast. Head bowed, holding that shard of smooth sea glass in his open palm. It shone with a colour that he’d never seen before. He’d only had it for a few minutes. Those few minutes he had before Eren trod along and threw it back into the sea. 

While the sight of the open ocean remained stagnant, the shoreline became smaller. Sections of the beach were constructed over. Steel bridges waited for warships. Even the calm sight ahead was owned by the navy. But something else was different from when Reiner was last here all those years ago. 

He drew his gaze along his feet. A wealth of colours complimented the sandy grains. Twinkles of reds and greens, mostly greens, accompanied some crystallines translucent. Teals were a rarer sight, Reiner had to walk the coast a few times if he wanted to spot one. Not to get him wrong. He wasn’t engaged in a nostalgic search for longing. That little round stone-no, glass. If he ever came across it again, it would only be able to pinch it between his fingers. 

After all, he lost interest in collecting gems. 

A shout from behind snapped him out of his trance. Familiar boots pounding the sand hovered misted over his ears but Reiner shooed away the faint memory. That shout was far deeper than the one all those years ago, and Eren was-

“Reiner!” 

Reiner turned to glance back at the sea wall. A well-built male with slicked-back blond tresses and an upturned nose waved at him. Cupping his hands around his smile, he shouted again. “Reiner! Quit staring at the gulls and get over here!” 

“Porco?” 

“What were you doing man? I was looking for you all over! I went to your house but your ma said you weren’t home.” Porco smacked Reiner lightly over the back, ‘lightly’ being a loose term. Reiner was sure if he were anyone else, he would have suffered a bruise between the shoulder blades.

“I was just taking a walk, getting fresh air.” It was precisely mid-day that the shoreside was empty. Between twelve to three o'clock were the best times to take a walk and think. Reiner, in particular, found the activity essential. Not that he’d admit it to Porco. 

“Fresh air eh? I heard being a desk jockey can get pretty damn stuffy. Lucky for you, the hero can rest easy and sneak out anytime he wants.”

“Sure Porco.” _And I’m not sneaking out._

“Don’t “sure” me, must be damn nice to be in brass’s favour. Got a promotion and a comfy office desk all lined up at home, all for you. Tell me, where can I get myself one of those?” Porco snorted, mumbling something about his efforts in the south were unappreciated. 

“It’s nothing really,” Reiner tried to brush it off but Porco wasn’t taking any of it. 

“ _Nothing?_ ”

Defeat. That’s all Reiner could muster as Porco began to hound him over the benefits. Reiner didn’t bother to bother to deny his claims again. Being posted in the rear really was the best thing. Living and eating well close to family in Liberio. Well respected by uppity Marleyan politicians. The Braun family was the envy of the internment zone. Not to mention his niece was already doing exceptionally within the Warrior candidate program. 

Contrast that to how Porco and the rest of the warriors were treated; Porco getting deployed practically every week without much notice, and Pieck barely showed her face anymore. If she wasn’t accompanying the War Chief, she was usually with the panzer units. The War Chief himself, well Reiner elected not to think of him too much. Luckily, they rarely occupied the same space since the Chief acted as a face while Reiner stayed home to deal with domestic affairs.

Eventually, they found themselves roaming the city streets. Tall structures four stories or higher reached high into the sky. Below them, crowds of dapper men in suits and trilby’s cawed over the morning paper while women in elegant dresses gathered at the cafes. The clear weather had brought everyone outside, eager to enjoy the sun’s rays while it lasted. Porco rattled his ears off until they finally landed on the reason he was even being dragged off the shore. 

“The train station?” 

The streets of Liberio were a constant bustle. Window shops opened their curtains. From plates to fine incense, goods from all over the world managed to find their way onto store shelves. 

Porco paid them no mind, his usual cocky grin replaced by a no-nonsense attitude that Reiner only saw when the War Chief addressed them. “Yeah, got the news a couple of hours ago. Pieck knew, neglected to tell me until the last minute, damn.”

A roaring automobile drove over Porco’s cursing. Reiner took notice as the navy blue vehicle made its way towards the city square. Unlike the sprawling pathways of Paradis, Liberio was far more organized. Rather than streets leading to dead ends and the inevitable stairway to nowhere, Liberio’s city map resembled a grid. It was a detail that he used to take for granted as a child. Never once forced to consider his sense of direction. Reiner learned the hard way on the island that paths weren’t always clear-cut. 

“Train from Lakua is coming. If we head over now, we can catch it maybe five-” Porco hummed, “-ten minutes before it arrives? Or yanno, right on time since I gotta drag around your fat ass.” 

“Just tell me why we’re going there please.” Reiner ignored the comment on his hypothetical rear. For the moment, he didn’t have any plans involving the docking station. Not for the coming week and a half at least. With a promotion to Vice Chief over the horizon, HQ didn’t hesitate to drop the workload on Reiner early. They called it “preparations” but Reiner had played the game, he knew it was just an excuse to dump Eldian matters onto him so strategic HQ could focus on enlistments. If there was something important on his calendar that warranted a trip to the train station, Reiner wouldn’t have dropped by on the order of Pock.

Rather than a reasonable explanation, Porco elected to shoot him with a quirked brow. “Didn’t ya know? I thought of all the people _you’d_ be the one keeping track of the trains from the southern border.”

“Why would I care about that?” Reiner had already resigned himself to his fate. “The campaign down south is coming to a close in autumn. They say the next front line is gonna be on the East Coast of Lidande. For now, whatever happens down there is none of my business.”

“Actually, it’s already ended.”

Reiner paused in step, watching Porco continue until he realized his companion was no longer following. “What? Didn’t you know? It ended yesterday. It was in the newspaper. The enemy’s base of operations got destroyed by an airdrop.”

 _An airdrop?_ That couldn’t be true. Reiner needed a minute to think. Sure he’d been swamped in deskwork lately but just like that? “Wait, wait, wait, what are you talking about? You’re probably reading it wrong Porco, just yesterday Marley was being pushed back-”

“Yeah, until Intel got a wildcard.”

Both warriors paused to look at each other as the sounds of chugging and train horns bellowed in the distance. Porco shoved his hands into his pockets, glancing back towards the station within view at the junction. “I can’t mention any details but a telegram put an end to the battle. Sources are saying that we got it from a worm but-”

“It wasn’t a worm.”

“Exactly.” 

Reiner’s expression hardened. He hastened his steps, easily keeping up with Porco. “Only one of us gets placed in Intel. I’ll be honest, I’ve never met the Attack Titan before.” He remembered vaguely from his time before the island. Being a warrior candidate didn’t always mean they’d directly meet the warriors themselves. Much of early training was spent either marching the fields or rushing exams in the classroom. Only the candidates with the best grades got special treatment from the warriors. 

“Neither have I, at least not the previous holder,” Porco admitted. His sharp gaze locked onto his companion. “I never really cared about the Attack. Marcel and I’s goal was always the Armoured.”

The jab stung. No matter how well relations had mended, Porco never failed to remind him about his shortcomings; Marcel in particular. Reiner flinched away from him. “Porco, I-”

“Don’t.” 

Reiner dipped his head as they approached the train station. Marley Public security stood picket at the gate, checking passes in and out of the city. Both warriors flaunted their red armbands. They earned a nod and wave to pass through. Immediately, Porco jogged in and surveyed the platform. 

“So what now? Did the War Chief arrange a meeting for Lidande?” Reiner had yet to get an answer out of the Jaw. Porco was never the type to answer Reiner directly due to their rocky past, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t try. 

“No, we’re just here to meet the Attack. That’s it.”

_Wait._

The chug of wheels and a train whistle howled over Reiner’s shock. His jaw dropped. “We’re meeting the Attack titan? Now?”

“He lives in Liberio so yeah right now. Platform two.” 

As they spoke, a rush of metal cars whizzed past. The mass of steel and iron groaning as it slowed and then settled with a loud sigh. Flurries of seagulls and pigeons flurried away while a train conductor announced the arrival of the Lakua line. 

“This is the one! Great, we made it early!” Porco jogged across the platform and threw his head from left to right, scanning each cart carefully as terminal employees fell into line. Porco kept mindful next to a rather confused Reiner as the doors rattled open, revealing weary and weathered soldiers from the front lines. Many of them, Reiner recognized, were Eldian thanks to their armbands. From broken arms to missing eyes, the amount of gauze on the Eldians contrasted the pristine condition of the Marleyans filing out of the luxury cars. 

“Keep an eye out for’em Reiner!”

Reiner followed Porco down the line, keeping a fair distance so they could get a good general view of the crowd. Unlike Porco however, Reiner was far less focused. “Everyone’s coming out at the same time…”

“Just look for a red band, like ours. Shouldn’t be that hard.” Porco smacked Reiner’s bicep. 

Reiner furrowed a brow. His question had yet to be answered. “Porco, why do you want to meet the Attack titan holder?”

At this, Porco glanced up at him with a hum. “What?”

“Like you mentioned before.” Reiner wasn’t sure if Porco even had the brain capacity to remember as far back as five minutes ago. Hesitation filled his voice as he recalled the fact. “You don’t-or at least, you didn’t really care about the Attack titan. I’m not really sure about now.”

To Reiner’s surprise, Porco didn’t miss a beat. “It’s not really for me. We’re here so _you_ can meet him.”

“Me?”

“Yeah, you’re the only one of us who hasn’t met him yet.” Porco paused, then reiterated as he scanned the droves of soldiers around them. “Well, kind of. You’ve met him before, but that was a _long_ time ago.”

Someone he knew? To be frank, Reiner’s memory of Liberio prior to the island was hazy. Sure, he was born and raised in Marley but grew up in Paradis. He preferred the letter to the telephone, knew more about equine care than anyone else in his circle. Eight years since he’d left that island. Returned after five years at seventeen and he barely remembered the names of the comrades he trained with. It took a whole month for Reiner to recall Pieck’s name consistently. Porco? Well, Reiner remembered him as clear as day. How could he forget the guy who used to shove his face in the dirt?

“Porco I,” Reiner dropped his arms limply, “I don’t really remember much from back then. Was it a guy from our class? Neighbour?”

“Not a neighbour no,” Porco rolled his eyes at his friend. “It’s a guy from our class. He enrolled late.”

“Gertrude?” 

“Nope.”

“Faust. B?”

“Uh-uh.”

“Carlo?”

“Come on man, Carlo’s in the panzer unit, you know this.”

“Right.” Reiner sighed, having had enough of playing Porco’s little game. “I got nothing.” Meeting another warrior was a big deal, the Attack titan in particular. It was vital on the battlefield for everyone to know each other’s rhythm. Under normal circumstances, knowing a support-type titan wasn’t as necessary. However, the current political climate wasn’t normal. 

Plus, Reiner was curious as to who this former classmate was. 

Porco made a lop-sided grin. “Don’t sweat it, that’s what we’re here for.” He allowed Reiner to review the passing crowd. They had to be fast, since all the soldiers would eventually muster and get escorted back to the internment zone. 

Reiner must have realized it too since Porco noticed his sights were settled on the Eldian group loitering near the ticket gate. It mostly consisted of able-bodied men and women, a select few suffering from a head injury or broken arm. Aside from that, not a single red band could be seen. At least not on the outside. Luckily, the train cars emptied one by one, and Porco could focus on those few while Reiner awkwardly trailed him. 

“Last one before the cargo!”

Near the rear end of the station, a heavy trolly door rattled open. They resembled sardines; dead-eyed soldiers looking gaunt as their attention directed towards the employee peering in. Once the step-ladder was placed, a greying man with thin spindly arms and boney cheeks swayed onto the platform. The rest followed after. Lost jaws and missing legs. They walked without the usual pep or energy that came with the return home. Guns still sputtered in their ears and fingers trembled stiffly as if ready to pull a trigger.

“Hurry up.” A Liberio public security officer shoved his weight into the frail-looking man, sending him to the floor while the rest of the guards just snorted and chuckled. “Stand and get a move on! Everyone else is already at the gate!”

The guard aimed another kick at the man’s rib cage. Then another, and another. _Thwack, thwack, thwack._ Giggles and sneered comments filled the air as the three men clad in blue continued to swarm the small heap. Shrill cries of pain filled the station but the civilians turned a blind eye. 

“You’re a titan aren’t ya? Get up like you always do! Quit being lazy you damn devil! You’re holding up the line!” The officer jeered at the man. A wry grin split his cheeks and wild crazed eyes fed off the laughter of his coworkers. “What’s wrong? You can’t get up? Don’t your legs work?”

The line of injured soldiers idled. Repeated strikes, cries, and cracking bone ringing in the air. Their stares didn’t go unnoticed by one of the public security men. A middle-aged, beer-bellied officer took a whiff of a cigar before turning sharply towards the Eldians. “See something interesting?” He hummed. 

Immediately, the small crowd tore their eyes away. They had no choice. The plump-bellied man blew smoke at the Eldian soldiers. Nicotine and ash layering another coat of dirt on their noses. “We’re home now so if you feel like taking a load off, we don’t mind playin’ a little bit.”

The officer was met with a shaky silence. 

“I think he’s had enough.”

A man hobbled out of line, placing himself in front of the weary group with a crutch under his arm. The plump-bellied officer sized him up. At first glance, he didn’t seem very intimidating. The newcomer was tall and lean; left knee down completely gone and tied off with a knot in his pants. Long dark hair obscured half of the man’s face, framing a single calm green eye. 

The officer hummed, choosing to humour the strange Eldian. “You think so? Hey boys, looks like we have a hero.”

As he spoke, the rest of the officers ceased their assault to shift attention onto the lone male. The man on the ground still remained curled up in a fetal position, a thin pale arm shielding his patchy skull. Deep crimson coloured the grated floor. The newcomer stood firm, unfazed by the voracious grins of the pack. 

“So, hero,” the plump-bellied officer took a drag of his cigar and tossed it onto the trembling heap, “You don’t like what we’re doing?”

“No, I don’t need to beat defenseless people to get off.”

“Defenseless?” The Marleyan officer absorbed the insult, expression lighting up with glee as if he’d heard a funny quip. “You’re seriously suggesting this devil is defenseless?”

Taking a cue, the other uniformed men threw their heads back in laughter. The lone Eldian remained silent. It would be five on one. Nevermind the fact that he had other Eldians behind him. In their physical and mental states, they could do nothing to defy the Marleyan Public Security. The newcomer cast his gaze to the frail old man. They locked gazes, calm sea greens meeting shattered greys. Those eyes shook, threatening to crumble and begging for the lone Eldian not to sacrifice himself. 

“He’s not fighting back.” The newcomer drew his attention to the blood seeping from his side. An opened shrapnel wound most likely. “It’s one against five, he has no chance of winning.”

Something about his silvered voice, unfettered by the sight of Marleyans made the officer scowl. Those same calm green eyes moved to meet theirs. Calm, unwavering, challenging. Speaking down towards the uniformed men as if they were children that were in need of discipline. “Maybe you should put those badges to actual use and get us back to the internment zone with everyone else on time for once.”

Jaws dropped, all eyes on the newcomer. Some looked on while others made their amendments with the goddess. The newcomer didn’t waver, expression set while the plump-bellied officer chuckled. Chuckles evolved into laughter, then a howling cry and brandished pistol. The officer stormed over towards the newcomer with a twisted snarl. At his arrival, the other Eldians scurried away like rats. Cold steel levelled at the newcomer’s forehead. 

“Watch your filthy mouth you fucking devil,” the officer’s smile had disappeared, replaced by a shrill frown. Both men locked eyes. The gun shuddered as it was cocked. “You insult me one more time and I’m gonna shoot your damn brains out. Your kind has oppressed Marleyans and other races for thousands of years and yet you dare say that _thing_ on the ground is defenseless? He could turn into a damn titan and eat us all. Your lot has already gotten a beating from the front lines, that ain’t enough for you?”

“You know that’s not how it works,” was all the response he got. The officer waited for more, but the Eldian kept his lips sealed. 

He growled. “Keep saying smart shit like that I’ll actually put a bullet in your head. Defying a superior officer is a defiance of the country. Death by firing squad.”

“Is that so?” the one-eyed soldier hobbled forward, pressing the skin of his forehead against the cold steel barrel. Hesitation flashed in the officer’s eyes. “Shoot me then.”

A moment passed in steep silence. Regular train station employees and bystanders alike kept a distance from the scene, waiting for the signature crackle of a gun. Trains whistled and pigeons cooed. Ash and smoke wafted into their noses from the simmering cigar wasting on the ground. Finally, a chubby finger made its way to the trigger. The air was so thick it choked people. One motion, one pull, and that would be it.

But the newcomer didn’t blink. “What’s wrong?” 

The officer swallowed. 

In response, the newcomer eagerly pushed the barrel back against the officer’s arm. “I’m going to die by firing squad anyway, aren’t I? Then, go ahead, make an example of it. Show everyone here what a good Marleyan patriot can do.”

“Y-You damn-”

“Do it. Shoot me right now.”

“-devils.”

“I won’t move, I can’t.” The newcomer maintained a piercing green gaze on the man. It was a weathered gaze but still flaring with life. Burning so hot he could see past the beady exterior of the uniformed male, like a feral animal waiting for its enemy’s next move. He placed a hand on his hip, garnering attention to his missing left leg. “Like this, I’m practically at your mercy. Be a hero, take down a titan yourself.”

His taunt was met with grinding teeth. 

“Oh that’s right, you can’t, can you?” The newcomer egged him on further. He tilted his head and allowed a stray hair to hang over his eye. “You don’t have permission to shoot me. You’re not authorized. Execution of a warrior can only be carried out by the state.” He tugged at a bright red band on his arm, displaying a nine-pointed star in its stripe. “So what are you going to do now?”

The barrel trembled uselessly in the officer’s hands. A bead of sweat trickling down his chin as the plump-bellied man struggled for a single word to say in response. It was true. It was all true. Warriors were different, more protected on a social and political level. If someone killed a warrior, they would be held responsible for the loss of one of the government’s major war toys. That, by itself, was punishable with death by firing squad, along with the extermination of one’s immediate family. 

With that thought, the situation came to a standoff. The officer’s hand trembled so much, one as close as the newcomer could hear the clicks of the metal. Finally, the officer backed down and lowered his gun. A relieved sigh arose from the Eldian soldiers before a flash of gunmetal skirted the sunlight, pointed straight at the quivering heap on the ground.

A terrified screech left the lanky soldier’s throat as he stared down the barrel, desperate tears leaking from his eyes. The newcomer’s brows furrowed, the minuscule reaction more than enough to fuel the grin that split the officer’s cheeks. “Maybe you’re immune, but he isn’t!” 

The man on the floor wheeled around to get on his knees, begging and pleading with the guard not to end his life. The rest of the uniformed men had no choice but to stand by, suddenly tense from the appearance of a warrior. 

“Unlike your high horse, this devil is expendable! Their useless asses aren’t worth the protection of the government! They can’t even fight anymore! Fuckin’ crazy devils should be locked up and eaten by the dogs!” The officer howled without abandon. He backed up into the frail man, pressing the muzzle of his revolver into his boney cheek to rub around. “It doesn’t matter if one of them dies because we can always replace them! That’s all you damn devils are good for anyway right? Multiplying like a fucking virus!”

Porco heard the shouts from a distance. Since Liberio tended to be a pitstop for travellers and a hotbed for Eldian units, their train station was built to be big. Rivalling a couple of football stadiums in size but it was still possible to hear a shout from across the expanse of snaking railways and bustling crowds. Reiner was engaged in a fruitless attempt to ask around, not noticing as Porco identified commotion on the other end of the station. 

“Hey,” Porco started. When Reiner continued to struggle to describe the person’s appearance to the soldiers, Porco was forced to elbow him. “Hey! Hey! Reiner! There’s something happening!”

Back at the standoff, neither side backed down. The newcomer moved a cool gaze onto the shrieking officer. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Adjusting the crutch under his arm, the one-eyed soldier went on. “Do you know which titan I possess?”

The question was unneeded. Only one warrior was aboard the train and he came specifically from Intel. It showed on the faces of the weary men behind him, and the faces of the officers as well. The words rose to the plump-bellied man’s throat, but he sealed his lips shut. The muzzle of his pistol lowered from the trembling skeleton’s cheek. 

“That’s right, I have the titan that ended this battle,” he paused, “the Attack titan. I’ve seen a few things about what’ll happen if you pull that trigger.”

With a few words, the wind favoured the man on a crutch. Suddenly, the plump-bellied officer wasn’t the one calling the shots. Top dog was always the highest-ranking officer present, and for the moment, it wasn’t any of Marley’s public security.

“Get rid of the gun,” The attack titan holder ordered. 

The officer returned the pistol to its holster, a heaviness weighing down on the uniformed men. The Attack holder turned his sights onto the trembling Eldian and threw his head back at the line, keeping a careful watch of the officers while the old man crawled back. 

“What’s going on!?”

A gap appeared in the crowd as it split to make room for a large, burly blond man, led by a shorter companion marching towards the scene. Eldian stragglers exiting the train carts fell into neat rows, raising their palms up in a salute towards the pair of red-bands. Once all obstacles had cleared, Porco’s nose scrunched up in disgust at the scene before him. A puddle of blood on the floor and a crippled soul reduced to his knees next to the injured soldiers.

Reiner shot a hard glare at the officers. They shrugged away. “I see blood, what’s going on?”

“V-Vice Chief Braun,” a pot-bellied man gawked at the arrival of another Warrior, a famous one at that.

“I’m not Vice Chief for another month, but answer my question.”

“Reiner?”

He pursed his lip, taking a deep breath and whirling around ready to correct whoever had just referred to him by his first name only to be met with a one-eyed man with a crutch. Reiner blinked. A red band. Actually, speaking of a single eye, something caught his attention. That greenish hue. A colour that brought Reiner years back. Before the war, before he returned, before the island. 

Back on that beach. 

“Eren?”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Feedback is appreciated!


End file.
